All in the Past
by DrivenByDesperation
Summary: A car pulled up outside the Kent farm. Little did Clark know, the girl inside would change his life forever. AU. Written through a series of flashbacks. Clana.
1. Chapter 1: Start

All in the Past

Chapter One: Begin

"But mom! I wanted to play with Pete today. Why do I have to babysit with you?!" A stern look from his mother quelled any further complaints he had.  
"Now come on, Clark. You said you'd help me today." She saw his bottom lip start to wobble, sensing that a tantrum was coming and knew that Jonathan wouldn't appreciate having to fix the barn again on his day off, so she quickly added, "But if you want, you can call Pete over later and all three of you can play together, OK?" Clark stuck his thumb in his mouth and began to think it over. She could almost hear the cogs turning slowly inside his head and she smiled.  
The sound of a horn from outside shook him out of his thoughts and despite his previous bad mood, he couldn't help but be curious about this Lana person. From what his mom said, she was smart and kind. He just hoped she'd be up to playing cool games, and not girly stuff like dolls.  
A red pick-up truck had pulled up just in front of the Kent's farmhouse. In the driver's seat he could see the lady from the flower shop in town. The one that was always nice to his daddy. She stepped out of the truck and opened the passenger door. Out jumped a girl no taller than Clark. She had shoulder length brown hair, the fringe cut short just above her big, curious brown eyes. A cautious look was plastered to her thin, young face. He didn't know why, but all of a sudden his face felt very warm. He stared at his shoes, confused. _What's wrong with me?_

When he finally looked back up, Lana was stood next to his mother. She wore a denim jacket over a red shirt. Her denim jeans were neat and pressed and she had a yellow backpack over her shoulders. His mom bent down until she was level with the little girl.

"Hi, Lana!"

"Hi Mrs. Kent, how are you?" She spoke slowly and quietly, sounding nervous. But she looked totally calm.

"I'm great thanks!" Martha moved slightly to the right and motioned for Clark to step forward. He did so tentatively, eyes fixed upon his shoelaces. "This is my son, Clark. Clark, this is Lana Lang. She lives in the house on the other end of the farm." He made an attempt to smile at the new girl.

There was something in her eyes that he didn't understand. Something that, in a few years time he'd recognize. He'd realize that the strange feeling in his stomach was more than the nerves of meeting someone new.

It was pure and lucid love.

But at that moment, he had other things on his mind.

"So, Lana. What do you wanna play?" She scrunched up her nose as she thought.

"Um... how about... superheroes?!" Clark cheered in agreement and lead her into the barn by the hand.


	2. Chapter 2: Elementary

All reviews welcome. Thanks for reading, guys.

All in the Past Chapter 2: Elementary

Her heart was racing and it took all her will power to keep her hands from shaking. She looked in the mirror Her face was pale and her eyes still looked tired, although she had slept like a baby.  
She dressed in silence and went down to breakfast. Her Aunt Nell kept trying to make small talk, but Lana just stared at the floor, mind swimming with thoughts.  
A knock at the front door shook her from her stupor. There on the door step stood her best friend, Clark Kent. He wore a red plaid shirt and dark blue jeans, his short brown hair slicked back. He had a huge smile on his face.  
"Hey Lana! So, are you ready for..." He paused for emphasis, "_Elementary school?!_" She attempted to return his grin, but he wasn't going to buy it. "Are... are you OK, Lana? You don't look too good."  
"Clark, aren't you at all scared? I mean, what if no-one wants to make friends with us?" She grimaced even at the thought.  
"My mom said I shouldn't care what other people think. It's what _I_ think that matters. And I think we'll be fine. There's bound to be people more scared than you, it's a fact." The way he said all this made Lana smile. He sounded so smart, and he was. He was Clark Kent, after all.  
"You're right. I was silly to be so worried. Besides, I've already got the best friend I could ask for."  
He looked puzzled.  
"Who's that?" She laughed.  
"You, stupid!" At that, he smiled bashfully and stuffed his hands in his pockets.  
He always knew how to make her feel better.

They were walking along the gravel path that lead to Lana's house. Clark had insisted on walking her home, so his mom dropped them off at the top of the road, telling Clark that 'dinner will be ready soon' But he wasn't really listening. He was too busy helping Lana out of the truck, like a perfect gentleman.  
"Then we had math, and we learned the 2 times table. Then we had recess, and... that's when I met you." His sentence faltered at the end slightly, but his smile only grew.  
He'd been telling the truth. As soon as they stepped through the school gates, they were confronted by a small group of fellow 1st graders asking if they wanted to play dodgeball.  
At that moment, all of her fear melted away, and she allowed herself to be lead to the basketball court by Clark, smiling and laughing, surrounded by her new friends. But no matter what, she wouldn't be on the opposite team to Clark. After all, on that day he was her hero.

"Thanks Clark. You helped me a lot today." They finally arrived at her front door. "School's fun, isn't it?" He nodded vigorously.  
"Yep, it's awesome." He tapped his foot on the stone step. "So shall I pick you up tomorrow?"  
"Definitely. Driving to school wouldn't be any fun without my _best friend._" She put a lot of emphasis on the last two words, and his eyes twinkled with happiness.  
"Lana? Is that you, sweetie?" A voice from inside made her jump.  
"Yes, Aunt Nell. I'll be there in a minute." She turned her attention back to Clark. "See you tomorrow." She kissed him on the cheek and ran inside, closing the door behind her.  
He walked back to his mom's truck, dazed, his fingers touching the spot where she'd kissed him.  
"Clark, are you OK?" Martha asked her son. He looked up at her, his expression blank. Then it cracked into the biggest grin she'd ever seen.  
"I'm great!"


	3. Chapter 3: Secret

Ok, this is where the AU comes into effect. In the show, Chloe is Clark's first kiss, and in this, well... not so much.

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Clark and Lana were sat on the swing seat on Lana's porch. They'd both matured a lot since their first day at Smallville Elementary. He was a lot taller, and he was quite well-built for his age. His hair was a little longer, and it was swept out of his eyes in a way that made him look very cute. She was still a head shorter than him, her raven hair a lot longer, her face tanned so perfectly, her skin looked golden. She was very beautiful.

They were deep in conversation.

"...and she's really smart. Look, all I'm saying is you want to be careful." He detected something else in her voice. Something that sounded suspiciously like jealousy. But he'd _never_ say that to her face.

"OK, Lana. What's this girls name again?"

"It's Chloe... Sullivan, I think. Why?" He tried to avoid her gaze, but her eyes were almost magnetic, and he couldn't help but look into them.

"Well, I just wanted to know, so I can... keep my eyes peeled." It was a feeble lie and he knew it. One single look of disdain from Lana was enough to crack him wide open. "OK, prom is coming up, and I don't want to go alone."

"Isn't there anyone you like that you could ask, instead of a complete stranger?" She asked curiously.

He took a minute to think how say his next sentence without revealing too much.

"Well, there is, but... I don't think she feels the same way. I mean, I haven't asked her but she's totally out of my league." _'That wasn't too obvious I guess. Please get the hint, Lana...'_

She tried to look nonplussed, but her nose was scrunched up: she was thinking about something. Something important.

"So, this girl you like..." _'Here it comes.'_ He thought to himself. "Is she in our year?"

And so, the questioning began.

"Yeah, she is." He looked at her. She was in deep concentration, her nose as scrunched as he'd ever seen it.

"OK. What color hair does she have?" Deep inside, she didn't want to know who was stealing her best friend away from her, but she couldn't help herself. There was something else inside of her, forcing her to ask these questions.

"Erm... Browny-black." That narrowed it down to about half of the 8th grade.

"That's helpful." She giggled. "Um... where does she live?"

That was a hard question. How specific did he have to be?

"Smallville?" At that, she rolled her eyes.

"No duh! She goes to Smallville Elementary; I wouldn't expect her to live in Star City!"

He rubbed his knuckles embarrassed. "OK, just tell me her name, Clark."

He closed his eyes, preparing himself. He couldn't lie to her, she'd see right through him. Plus, he didn't really want to. He wanted her to know.

"You sure you're ready?" She paused, then nodded. "OK. Her name is..."

"Lana!"

They both jumped a mile, and banged heads. They didn't even have the time to move apart before Aunt Nell came through the front door. It must have been an unusual sight: The two teenagers nose-to-nose, looking into each other's eyes, startled. Clark's hand was on Lana's waist in an attempt to keep her from falling off of the seat.

It took them a moment to realize what had happened, and as soon as they did, they jumped apart, Lana standing up by her Aunt. Clark was still a little dazed, but regained enough composure to stand up and shoved his hands in his pockets, his face as red as a tomato.

"We were just saying goodnight. Goodnight Clark." And with that, Lana ran inside.

"Um... goodbye, Nell." He turned and walked down the stairs, completely confused.

He walked away very slowly, his head filled with thoughts of Lana and the great secret he was about to tell her, when a voice behind him shook him back into the real world.

"Clark?" He turned around, and there she stood.

"Oh, hey Lana." The tinge returned to his cheeks, but thankfully, it was too dark for her to see it. "What are you doing out here?" She shot him a sneaky smile.

"I told Nell I left my cell phone outside." He laughed weakly. "I just... you never answered my question."

"Oh, right." He shuffled his feet nervously, wondering how to escape from this awkward situation. He still wanted to tell her, but the moment of confidence had completely gone.

"If you tell me... I'll tell you who I like." His eyes opened wide. '_She likes someone?!' _"Come on! Would it help if I told you first?"

He desperately wanted to know, but what if it wasn't him? What would he say then? He'd make a fool of himself in front of Lana. And she was all that mattered at this point.

But something in his mind made him ask.

"OK. Tell me." She smiled, her face glowing.

"Now I think about it, it's easier if I show you."

Taking advantage of the cover of night, she edged closer until they were only inches apart. She took his hand into hers and swept a strand of long hair out of her face. Then she leaned forward and their lips touched.

It lasted only 3 seconds, but in that short time, it felt like he'd died and gone to heaven. He was flying in the clouds, with only Lana for comfort. And that was perfectly fine by him. He would have been perfectly happy staying like that forever.

But then she pulled away, and he fell back to earth.

"Lana, I... I don't understand. You like... me?!" She nodded.

"I knew that you might not feel the same way, but if I didn't tell you then, I never would have been able to. " She looked down at her feet, suddenly embarrassed. He put a hand on her cheek. He hadn't done this before, so she could feel his hand shaking: he was as nervous as she was.

"So, now it's my turn?" He lifted her head up and made her look into his eyes. They were so deep and calm she couldn't help but relax. "Well, I don't think I need to say much. You said it all so well."

They smiled at each other, and she hugged him, her head resting over his heart. It was going 500 miles an hour, silently challenging hers to a race.

"Um... Clark?" They separated. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He just nodded, beaming.


End file.
